This year we’ve seen and heard a lot of news as it pertains to the faith-based community and Gospel music.  As the influence, impact and perception of the faith-based community changes, PATH gives you a look back into the biggest headlines of 2011.  

The top articles were chosen based on a combination of national significance, page views, comments, and impact on the faith-based community.

Catch up on what you missed in 2011 and we look forward to bringing you more in 2012.  Happy New Year! 
 

1. Bishop Eddie Long Sex Scandal:

Top Related Links:

• Bishop Eddie Long Scandal Photos Released by Attorney 
• Bishop Paul S. Morton Tells Bishop Eddie Long to Repent & Show Humility
• Vanessa Long, Wife of Bishop Eddie Long Files for a Divorce 
• Bishop Eddie Long will take time off to work on family 

2. Pastor Zachery Tims’ Suspicious Death:

Top Related Links:

• Popular MEGA-Church Pastor Zachery Tims Found Dead at 42 Years Old 
• Zachery Tims’ Mother Heads to Court to Keep Pastor’s Cause of Death Private
• It’s Official, Paula White Takes Over Zachery Tims’ Mega-Church 

3. Death of Osama Bin Laden Impacts Christians: 

Top Related Links:

• President Barack Obama Announces the Death of Osama Bin Laden: Christians Debate Whether We Should Celebrate

4. Dr. Conrad Murray Found Guilty in Michael Jackson Trial:

Top Related Links:

• Murray Seeks Solace at Bishop Charles E. Blake’s Church

5. Penn State University Scandal:

Top Related Links:

• Tyler Perry’s Open later to Penn State abuse victim
   

6. MLK Memorial debut:

Top Related Links:

• Thousands honor MLK at memorial dedication in DC  
• God’s Name Not Written on MLK Memorial Stones a Missed Opportunity Says Dr. Alveda King

7. The Oprah Winfrey Show Ends: 

Top Related Links:

• Critics Mixed On Religious Tone Of ‘Oprah’ Finale

8. Homeless Man Ted Williams:

Related Links:

• Homeless Man Ted Williams Credits God for the World’s Discovery of His Golden Radio Voice

9. TONEX Changes his name to B-Slade and embraces his homosexuality:

Top Related Links:

• TONEX Says People are Born Homosexual & Call Him B-Slade
• TONEX Now Known As “B-Slade”: Performs Publicly for the First Time Since He Announced He Was Gay
• B-Slade, the Artist Formerly Known as “Tonex” Says He was Pigeonholed into the Gospel Genre  

10. Steve Harvey’s Ex-Wife Drama:

Top Related Links:

• Steve Harvey’s Ex-Wife Takes to YouTube to Air Dirty Laundry

 
11. Matthew Knowles banned from Radio-One:

Top Related Links:

• Matthew Knowles’ Music World Gospel Banned from ALL Radio One Stations 

12. BeBe & CeCe Winans get Walk of Fame Star

Top Related Links:

• BeBe & CeCe Winans Honored with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 

13. Spike Lee’s Feud with Tyler Perry:

Top Related Links:

• Tyler Perry to Spike Lee: “Spike Lee Can Go Straight to Hell”
• Actor Idris Elba Critiques Tyler Perry: ‘I’m Not With Buffoonish Characters Like Madea Or Big Momma’

14. Amber Bullock wins Sunday Best:

Top Related Links:

• BET’s Sunday’s Best Season 4 Has Record Debut with Over 1.8 Million Viewers Watching
• Did you miss the Sunday’s Best Finale?  Watch Here!!!

15. Actress Lisa Raye Addresses Engagement Rumors to Bishop Noel Jones

Top Related Links:

•  Lisa Raye Sets the Record Straight – She’s NOT Dating Bishop Noel Jones
   

16. Rapper Lecrae Elevates Gospel Rap:

Top Related Links:

• Gospel Rapper LECRAE Has the #1 and #2 Album on Charts: Christian Rap Makes a Plea for Radio Time
   

17. Fred Hammond Moves to Jazz Music:

Top Related Links:

• Fred Hammond Explains Decision to Record Jazz Music 
   

18. Gospel Rapper Da Truth Heals Marriage:

Top Related Links:

• How Da TRUTH Overcame the Love Triangle that Rocked the Gospel Industry

19. Shay Atkins Leaves Gospel:

Top Related Links:

• Shei Atkins Leaves Gospel Music with an Explanation Letter: Industry Executive Kris Patrick Responds
   

20. Pole Dancing for Jesus Ministry?

Top Related Links: 

•  WHAT!  Pole Dancing for Jesus?

Source: The Orlando Sentinel 

New Destiny Christian Center officially announced today what had been widely rumored: The Rev. Paula White has been selected as the successor to Zachery Tims.

White, 45, will assume her duties as senior pastor during the Apopka megachurch’s annual New Year’s Eve services on Saturday.

“We celebrate the continuation of a vision, a vision launched back in 1996 with the founding of New Destiny Christian Center as a non-denominational church with a multi-cultural mission,” Board of Directors member Elder Marguerite Esannason said in a statement released by the church.

“The central directive of this ministry has always been to build people of purpose, power and prayer. We believe Pastor Paula will continue to make New Destiny a church for all people, reaching out to the hurting and the lost by touching lives and helping individuals overcome the disabling challenges of life.”

White, senior pastor of Without Walls International in Tampa, is a popular evangelist and author who hosts her own cable television show. For a time, she served as Zachery Tims’ personal pastor.

Tims, 42, died in August. His cause of death has not been released.

White was selected after a search conducted by New Destiny’s Board of Directors. She will serve as a non-voting member of the board and will be subject to the oversight of both the Board of Directors and the church’s Board of Regents.

“I will come to my new assignment with a servant’s heart, humbled by this great responsibility and grateful for the confidence the board has shown in naming me Senior Pastor,” White said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly each day to ensure that the mission of this church is fulfilled and that its ministry and congregation remain united and strong.”

White’s selection has caused a backlash among some members of the congregation who feel that their voice was ignored in the search process. A group of members — many of whom back Pastor Riva Tims, the church’s co-founder and ex-wife of Zachery — has been protesting the selection of White and has threatened to take legal action to remove the board of directors.

“We prayed fervently for guidance during our search which led us to ask Pastor Paula White to take over as Senior Pastor,” Harold Fuller, acting chairman of the Board of Directors, said in a statement. “We were searching for someone who could understand the history of our ministry, one who had a close relationship with our members and our staff and one who knew the heart of our senior founder. We earnestly know that the Lord led us to select Pastor Paula White.”

Members of the Board of Regents and Board of Directors called on all NDCC members to unite in support of White and to continue the church’s work and ministry.

“We know that times of transition and change can often bring questions, concerns and uncertainties,” Fuller said. “But we ask that all of our brethren in Christ would unite in prayer and support of Pastor White and to work with her to move our great church forward into a promising new future. Together we will continue to accomplish great things in the name of the Lord.”

Gospel singer Robert E. Person has had a whirlwind year. Since the release of his third CD, Soul Sanctuary, in July 2011, Robert has been busy promoting the new, critically-acclaimed release. The lead single, “Someday We’ll All Be Free”, a jazzy arrangement of the Donny Hathaway classic, has been heard on 200 radio stations nationally and the artist had the opportunity to sing his rendition at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication in his hometown of Washington, D.C. The song catapulted up the BDS and Mediabase charts entering the Top 100. Other notable performances in 2011 included The Library of Congress, The Spirit of Washington, Rejoice In The Word with Bishop George Bloomer and Babbie’s House, Christian artist Babbie Mason’s television show.

The industry has been talking about the impressive psalmist. In addition to receiving rousing endorsements from industry notables such as Earnest Pugh, Harold Rayford and Bob Baldwin, he’s been getting great reviews of Soul Sanctuary. Also, he has been named one of the Top 5 Indie Artists for 2011 by EnSound Entertainment and One of the Indie Artists To Look Out For In 2012 by Rejoice America Radio. He has also been listed as one of CJBRadio.com’s Top 10 Independent Artists of 2011.

He closed out the amazing year with a Birthday Celebration Concert on Monday, December 26th at H Street Playhouse in D.C., the same location where he’s been performing in Langston Hughes’ musical Black Nativity during the month of December. Person’s Birthday Celebration Concert (pictured above) featured performances by his musical friends Quest, Jimmy Russell & Because of Christ, The Allyn Johnson Trio, Lori Williams, and Tony Thomas. Person took to the stage as well singing a few songs from the new release. Presented by Theatre Alliance and REP Music, the event gave Person the opportunity to give thanks for the support of his friends and to share in his special day. More information on Robert E. Person can be found at www.RobertEPerson.com

According to Channel 2 WSBTV, Dozens of parents said they are left scrambling to find a school for their children after leaders at New Birth Christian Academy said the campus will not reopen next week.

School officials told Channel 2 Action News that money and not enough students are the main issues, but some parents said they believe it’s more than that.

Parents received a letter putting them on notice that New Birth Christian Academy was shutting down.

One parent spoke to Channel 2’s Eric Philips, but did not want her identity known.

“It’s almost like they purposely waited for the holiday before they sent out this letter. I mean, a letter (that says) my daughter basically does not have a school to go to on Jan. 4,” said the parent.

The letter blames a sluggish economy for the closure.

School administrators released this statement:

The deficit, along with the declining enrollment over the years, left the New Birth Christian Academy Board of Directors with no other option.  The board has made the tough decision to temporarily close the school.

“It leaves us in a tremendous bind,” said the parent.

The academy is housed inside the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. A spokesperson made it clear that the school closure has nothing to do with the sex abuse allegations against Bishop Eddie Long.

“I don’t believe that. I believe that this last straw with the divorce, the sealed settlement, it just does not look good,” said the parent.

The letter also stated the staff at New Birth will help students and parents find a new school.

Pastor DeWayne Harvey has announced the signing of gospel music veteran, the Princess of Gospel, Angela Spivey, to his Tallahassee-based Innovative Records. Spivey’s first release for the label, “He Keeps His Promise,” is due in April 2012. It will be led by the title track, which goes to radio on January 2, 2012. The set is produced entirely by Harvey, Antonio Wimberly and Etienne Porter.

Harvey says his goal is to expose Spivey to a broader audience. “Angie’s been a hidden talent,” he says. “People know about her, but her success in terms of sales, outings, venues, and all the things that come along with a good gospel artist just aren’t there. That’s my goal. I know her voice is anointed and designed to reach not only people here in the United States but all over the world.”

A native of Chicago, Spivey began singing in her father’s church at the age of four and directed her first choir at the age of five. Her 65-member Voices of Victory is now regarded as one of the premiere choirs in gospel music. “He Keeps His Promise” is Spivey’s fifth CD.

A minister, label executive and recording artist with five CDs to his credit, Harvey said that he has always had a “special connection” with Spivey, who has been featured on his last three releases. “I’ve heard her preach and minister at my church,” he said. “We came in on the same record label, Aleho International Records, and that’s where we had our first meeting.”

Spivey’s new release is destined to be one of her greatest. Harvey and his crew of producers have not only captured the essence of what Spivey does, but have given her a new look and sound. This new sound is evident in the lead track “He Keeps His Promise” and “God Cares”. Spivey said that the songs stretched her out of her comfort zone; however, the results of moving out are amazing. Spivey says, “It’s new, it’s fresh, almost as if I have been reinvented.”

Harvey says his mission at Innovative Records is to release music — both domestically and internationally — that captures the attention of wide-ranging audiences.

Worth Dying For will return February 7th with their third national release, Live Riot, recorded live at the Ammunition Conference in California. The Ammunition Records release is already receiving exposure from radio and the new music video for “The World Can’t Take It Away.”

Maintaining their aggressive rock sound with big guitars and driving loops, the band manages to capture worship like has never been captured on any previous album of Worth Dying For. “We have never stepped into the live worship recording before,” says Worth Dying For’s Christy Johnson. “For the first time, we get to interact with our fans and listeners and share what our worship to our creator is like in its most organic and raw form.”

Although the moments of worship are deep, high-energy praise songs like “Freedom Is Rising” and “One Love” keep the album moving and the listener engaged. More traditional worship fans will be drawn in by ballads such as “Risen from the Grave,” and the prophetic style of “Spirit of God.” While this album features 10 all-new songs, it also includes new live versions of some fan favorites from Worth Dying For’s previous album, Love Riot, including “Savior,” “Higher” and that album’s title track. Fans of Skillet and Evanesence as well as Hillsong United, Planetshakers and Jesus Culture will find that this collection of 15 live songs create a worship experience unlike any other.

The modern worship team that makes up Worth Dying For consists of original members Christy Johnson, Josh O’haire and Sean Loche, as well as new worship leaders Dalisha Turner, Deanna Joven, Nick Morris, Rochelle Leguern and Sarah Agbayani.

“We are honored that we get to do what we do and see new worship leaders step into their calling,” says vocalist Sean Loche. “There is something powerful about the leaders of a worship team being plugged into a ministry based within a church and serving the needs of a city before the needs of a world. Worth Dying For’s heart is not only to see lives changed in worship, but to work to see Ammunition Conference grow and shake the roots of cities around the country. There is a mandate from God to birth this conference in cities around the nation. Live Riot helps people hear the sound of the conference.”

Worth Dying For’s Ammunition Conference started as a camp with 40 people and has turned into an annual conference with world-renowned speakers and attendance in the thousands. In addition to recording, touring and their own popular conference, Worth Dying For is stepping into a new season by planting a church in the Los Angeles area.

Worth Dying For will support the new album on the national conference circuit in 2012, with live performances at such major events as Acquire the Fire, Thirst Conference, Christ for the Nations, Ammunition Conference and many more. The music video for “The World Can’t Take It Away” will be serviced to video outlets nationwide early next month. Additional videos will be released in early 2012. A video about the album is also available.

Amber Bullock stays on top of the charts this week, riding the wave of success she created as the winner of the 2011 Sunday Best competition.  

William McDowell rebounds back to the number two postiion while another Sunday best winner Le’Andria Johnson has two albums in the top 10.

The complete Top 10 List is below.

1 | Amber Bullock – Thank You
2 | William McDowell – Arise
3 | Le’Andria Johnson – The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson…
4 | Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear
5 | Lecrae – Rehab
6 | Isaac Carree – Uncommon Me
7 | WOW Gospel 2011
8 | Jessica Reedy – From the Heart
9 | Marvin Sapp – Playlist: The Very Best of…
10 | Le’Andria Johnson – Christmas Best 

Church Plates wants to invite all business owners and shoppers to their first monthly networking event. This will give the business owners an opportunity to network, share ideas and connect. Also the event will be open to the public; which will give the community a chance to find all the services and products they have been looking for in a “one stop shop.” 

The goal is to have the event every month in different areas of Houston to infiltrate different demographics and markets. For a small registration fee Church Plates does allow other vendors to be showcased. Hopefully by the end of next year everyone will know who Church Plates is and all the vendors associated with the events.   

INFORMATION ON THE FIRST EVENT

The first event is taking place at the hotel Derek (2525 W Loop S Fwy, Houston TX 77027) on January 7^th, 2012. 

There is no entry fee, just $6 for valet parking. Church Plates will be providing food samples and all the vendors will be giving out prizes every hour. This event will last from 12pm to 4pm. The showcased vendors at this event include; Sentsy, Dub Wheels, ADT, S & M Cleaning Specialist, Ms. T Accessories, The Pope Law Firm, Resumes by Valerie, APM Electronics, Holywood Fashions, a Business Consultant & Coach, BCF N’tense Printing & Design, “A Different You Hair Design” and Vault Denim. 

No matter who you are feel free to come out to connect and patronize. If you want to participate in the next upcoming event, feel free to contact Catherine for more information. 

Phone: 713-261-3254 or 832-533-0029

It’s unfortunate to know that you could help relentlessly build something, have the vision for something, put in the blood, sweat and tears for a ministry and company, then see it legally in the hands of someone else.  This is the case with Riva Tims, the ex-wife of Pastor Zachery Tims.  

Recently, Riva Tims broke her silence on the selection process to find a new Pastor for New Destiny Christian Center.  Tims says that New Destiny Christian Center refused to meet with her even though she was the logical preference among many of the church members.  Riva Tims voiced her dismay in a statement on Facebook. 

To the members of NDCC, I know there is a lot going on for you all right now. My heart aches for you and I would have loved to be a part of the healing process for you. The children and I feel the same concerns many of you have expressed to me. Please know that even though the Board including Paula White refused to meet with me as the co-founder of NDCC on behalf of my children, I have a resolve that God is ALMIGHTY and HE is the righteous judge. Continue to pray for God’s perfect will and that the Spirit of Truth will continually be manifested. I love you much.

Rumors of power struggles and greed have gripped the members of New Destiny.  Two Pastors have even took themselves off of the board that was formed to select the new Pastor.

It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but people close to the selection process say well known Pastor Paula White has been selected to take over.

We will find out for sure when the official announcement is made New Years Eve.

The Gospel Community has lost another jewel.

International television, movie and recording artist, and member of the Bobby Jones and New Life Nashville Super Choir, Emily Harris died on Thursday Morning, December 22, 2011 in her hometown of Nashville, TN.

After more than thirty one years of working in the music industry, our trusted sources tell us that Ms. Harris died as a result of a blood clot while at home with her sister. She was pronounced dead at a local Nashville hospital.

Ms. Harris garnered most of her major notoriety and exposure from BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel. She also recorded several shows with Dr. Bobby Jones recently that are currently being shown on BET and Impact TV.

Dr. Bobby Jones says, “There was none like her in many ways and she will be surely missed with her brilliant personality and her wonderful voice. Her contribution to the Gospel Music Industry will be missed by the world.”

Funeral Services for Emily are as follows:

Services will be held at Cathedral of Praise COGIC, 4300 Clarksville Pike, Nashville, TN 37218

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 7 PM

Industry Musical

Thursday, December 28th, 2011 11 AM

Homegoing Celebration

Officiated by her Pastor, Bishop Jerry Maynard

Broady Funeral Home

Cards and Condolences can be sent to the Church in care of her sister Marva Starks